Sticks and stones …

ALBANY — Two police union leaders have dropped their personal injury lawsuit against Albany County District Attorney David Soares.
The unusual lawsuit was filed in October 2009 by James F. Lyman, a retired Albany detective and executive director of Council 82, and Christian M. Mesley, an Albany police officer and president of Council 82. The pair claimed they suffered “mental anguish” from comments Soares made about them during the 2008 election cycle.
Court records show both sides agreed to discontinue the litigation in a one-page agreement filed in May. The filing was not publicly announced by either side.
Lyman and Mesley have clashed with Soares publicly for years and openly supported his opponents in the past two elections.
Lyman declined comment when reached Wednesday. Mesley and Soares could not immediately be reached for comment.
In the lawsuit Mesley claimed he suffered undue stress, and possibly vertigo, as a result of the “public hatred” he said he endured after Soares allegedly indirectly referred to Lyman and him as “liars” for statements they made during the 2008 election campaign.